Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-03-08
INTERESTING DECISIONS
ANNOUNCED BY THE UNITED STATES
SUPREME COURT.

Drummers' Rights yindicated-Ah SIN
Has No Rights-The Harmony Econo-
mists'' in Court-Trade Dollar Redemp-
tion-Michigan Lands Open for Entry
Matthews and Trotter--Notes.
WASHINGTON CITY, March S-The su-
creme court of the United States reconvened
Monday to complete the spring session,
which will adjourn in May. A large num-
Der OF decisions prepared during the months
vacation were rendered. The 'Drummers'
tax case, brought here from the supreme
court of the state Of Tenn assoc. involving the
right Of one state or municipality to impose
license tax upon travelling statesmen from
another stats seeking to sell goois by sample
or otherwise, was decided III favor Of the
plaintiff, Sabine Robbins. The decision of
the court is that such taxation is an inter
ference with interstate commerce, and there
fore unconstitutional
A decision was rendere in the case of
Thomas Baldwin, of California, in what is
known as the 'Chlnesen case. Baldwin was
arrested and held as the leader of party of
white men who drove out the Chinese from
Nlcolaus Suter county, Cal, in February,
1886 He first applied to the circuit court in
California for release on writ of habeas
corpus This was denied him, and he
brought his case to the supreme court of the
United State. Baldwin was charged under
'ku-klux' conspiracy sections of the revised
statutes with conspiring t. deprive persons
of the equal protection of the laws, etc. The
supreme court held that as these laws were
not framed for the protection of Chinese,
they are not applicable to Baldwin's offense,
and so the Judgment of the California court
Is reversed with costs, and the cause re
manded for further proceedings, in accord
ance with this opinion. Chief Justice Waite
prepared the opinion Of the court in this
case, Justices Field and Harlan dissenting
The court also rendered a decision in the
ease of the heirs Of Herman Speidel against
Jacob Henrici, brought here on appeal from
the United States circuit court for the west
ern district of Pennsylvania, which brings
TO light an interesting story In 1904 George
Rapp brought to this country from Wur-
temburg about fifty families and set
settled on the banks of the Ohio
river, about twenty miles from Pittsburg
The colony was known as the Harmony
Economists, and the town they founded was
~N--'SA ]1~Nh-SA'I' 1AAit ilSt Oiis
himself as leader, but informed his follow
ers that he was their prophet, and that they
would jeopardize their salvation if they
failed to turn all their property over TO the
church-he being the self-san.e church. This
was done, and then the ssif-male prophet
issued another edct furbidding any inter-
course of the sexes Everything went
smoothly with the new colony, and they
tourished and Were apparently happy until
1881, when one OF their number Herman
Spe!del, revolted, went to Plttsburs and
married, and it was to recover his portion
of the wealth of the Economy society that
his heirs brought suit The property in
volvcd Is valued at S5JntJ. OJ1, and as only
about fifteen families remain, all are in al
fluent circumstaness ienrici, the defend
ant in this suit, Il uow s. years old With
out going into tn" merits Of the case, as to
whether the society vas proper one OF not
he court decided that The complainant.
Speidel having allowed lis claim to sleep
for half century, tlie, court must held It TO
IA a still claim